Game apparatus



April 12, 1960 PENNER 2,932,516

GAME APPARATUS Filed June 18, 1958 INVENOR.

United. States Patent M GAME APPARATUS Herbert Penner, Turpin, Okla.

Application June 18, 1958, Serial No. 742,923

1 Claim. (Cl. 273-105) My invention is directed to the novelconstruction and arrangement of a vertically disposed adjustably mountedgame board, including a novel support therefor in the form of a rigidframe; the board, being conveniently called a backboard, is adapted tobe employed in playing various games under rules formulated to vary theplaying of games based upon the throwing of a ball, such as for examplea volley ball, through the central opening in the backboard.

My improved backboard may preferably be employed as in a game usuallyplayed indoors in which each of two teams endeavors to toss an inflatedball through an elevated goal, in the present instance, a centralopening in an adjustably elevated vertically disposed backboard,defended by the opponents.

An object of the invention is found in the provision of game apparatuscomprising a pair of similar, spaced apart, frames each consisting of anupwardly extending vertically disposed tubular post member, a laterallyextending tubular base member supporting said vertically disposed postmember, a tubular angularly disposed brace member having one endconnected to a medial portion of said post member and its opposite endconnected to said base member, and a vertically disposed backboardvertically adjustably mounted upon the upper portions of said verticalpost members, including a pair of tubular sleeves, secured to thebackboard, slidably mounted upon said post members and adapted to bevertically adjusted in selected elevated position on said post members,and means for locking said sleeves on said post members in verticallyadjusted position.

The various features of novelty whereby the present invention ischaracterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in theclaims; but, for a full understanding of the invention and its objectsand advantages, reference may be had to the following detaileddescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of game apparatus embody ing my invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the game apparatus;

Fig. 3 is a front view of the backboard; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

-As shown in the accompanying drawing, my improved game apparatus,generally stated, comprises a backboard 10, a tubular supporting framegenerally designated by numeral 11, and means for adjustably supportingthe backboard in vertical position upon the supporting frame.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the supporting frame 11 is preferablyconstructed of tubular elements consisting of a pair of cooperating,adjacently disposed but spaced apart supporting frames of tubular pipematerial each comprising a vertical post member 11 a base member 11extending laterally from the bottom of the post member 11*, and anangularly disposed brace member 11 having one end connected to a medialportion of the post member 11 and its opposite end connected to the2,932,516 Patented A t. 12, 19 0 2 base member 11. I also preferablyprovide a lateral stabilizing tubular member 11 disposed. transverselyto and interconnecting the two base members 11 This Supporting frame 11may be secured to the floor of a game room in any suitable manner as bybolts or clamps not shown.

The backboard 10 may be made of any suitable material such as plywoodand is provided with a circular opening 10* which is preferably providedwith a circular reenforcing and wear-resisting angle iron 13 to protectthe circular edge of the opening in the plywood board.

The backboard 10 is provided with a pair of laterally spaced verticallydisposed angle irons 14 arranged facing back to back on opposite sidesof the central opening 10 the angle irons 14 being preferably bolted tothe backboard as by bolts 15.

Means for adjustably supporting the backboard 10 in vertical positionupon the upper portions 11 of the post members 11 includes a pair ofshort tubular sleeves 16 mounted adjacent the angle iron legs 14 thatextend rearwardly perpendicularly to the backboard. 10; the sleeves 16being secured to the legs 14*, as by welding at 16, and having aninterior diameter adapting the sleeves for slidable movements upon theupper portions 11 of the post members to thereby permit the backboard tobe vertically adjusted upon the supporting frame 11 into selectivelyelevated positions.

As shown in the drawing, the apparatus also includes locking means forsecurely retaining the backboard 10 in a selectively elevated positionand such retaining means is more clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4 ascomprising one, or preferably two, spring-pressed pins 17 slidablycarried on each of the angle irons 14 and adapted to be slidablyprojected into registrable openings 18 spaced vertically in the adjacentsides of the upper portions 11 of the post members :11.

Assuming that only one locking pin 17 is employed in each sleeve 16 andangle iron 14, each such locking means may be more specificallydescribed as consisting of the cylindrical pin 17 having a collar 17secured thereto in its medial portion, a Z-bar 20 welded to angle iron14 and having a perforated leg 20 through which the pin 17 slidablyextends, a coil spring 19 disposed between the leg 20 and the collar 17and a head 17' on the outer end of the pin by means of which the pin isadapted to be moved outwardly against the pressure of spring 19 towithdraw its inner end from the opening 18 in post member 11 to therebyrelease the sleeve =16; the release of both sleeves permitting movementof the backboard into a different elevated vertical position.

While I have shown the circular angle iron 13 applied to the backboardwith its leg 13* disposed on the rear face of the backboard, it isobvious that such application may be reversed so that the leg 13*extends over the front face of the board.

I claim:

Game apparatus comprising a vertically disposed backboard having acentrally disposed transverse opening therein; a pair of verticallydisposed angle irons mounted relatively back to back on the rear side ofthe backboard in laterally spaced positions, one on each side of saidopening, for reenforcing the backboard; a vertically disposed tubularsleeve secured to each of said angle irons; a supporting structure forthe backboard comprising a pair of similar laterally spaced frames eachconsisting of an upwardly extending vertically disposed tubular postmember slidably engaged with said sleeve, a laterally extending tubularbase member supporting said vertically disposed post member, a tubularangularly disposed brace member having one end connected to a medialportion of said post member and its opposite end connected to said basemember; said backboard, angle irons, and sleeves 3 being verticallyadjustable as a unit upon said post mem- References Cited in the file ofthis patent bers into selected elevation; and means for locking saidsleeves on said post members to maintain the backboard UNITED STATESPATENTS in adjusted elevated position comprising a plurality of 507,098Bates Oct. 24, 1893 vertically aligned spaced openings in the upperportions 5 "1,543,7 1 1 Hoisington June 30, 1925 ,of said post members,and spring-pressed pins carried 2,144,148 Gross Jan. 17, 1939 on saidangle irons normally extending into a selected 2,201,865 Kriekard May21, 1940 one of said openings in said post members through open-2,379,572 Gibson July 3, 1945 ings insaid sleeves registering with saidopenings in said 2,547,747 Kenney Aug. 4, 1953 post members. 10 1

